Haith kicks Price off Missouri basketball team

COLUMBIA — Missouri basketball coach Frank Haith kicked Zach Price off the team Thursday, ending the forward’s career with the Tigers before it began.

Price, a transfer from Louisville who wasn’t eligible to play until next season, was arrested twice last week on four counts of suspicion of assault. Another Missouri player, Earnest Ross, filed a petition April 2 in Boone County Circuit Court that sought a protection order against Price.

Haith suspended Price indefinitely after his arrest.

“Last week’s situation was unacceptable and after a review, I have decided that Zach will no longer be a part of our program,” Haith said in a statement. “The off-the-court incidents involving our program over the past few months will not be tolerated. Our program represents the entire university and needs to be an asset. That’s my responsibility as our head coach at Mizzou and we’ll get it fixed.”

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported Wednesday that Price was arrested twice the day after Ross sought the protection order. In the arrest, Price was accused of ramming his car into another vehicle and later having another encounter with the couple in the car. Police said Price hit his male roommate in the face then pushed the woman to the ground.

The victims were not identified by police, but the restraining order request identifies Ross as the roommate and his girlfriend as the other victim.

Price, a 6-foot-10 junior, sat out last season after transferring from Louisville, where he was a member of the Cardinals’ 2013 NCAA championship team. No charges have been filed in the case.

Ross, a senior, asked the court to keep Price at least 100 feet away and to not communicate with him. The petition claims Price “performed illegal traffic violations in order to harm me and my vehicle” and he “followed me while I was going to police station. My girlfriend was also in the vehicle.”

Missouri is coming off a disappointing season in which it failed to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In addition to losing Price, two of last season’s top scorers, Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson, have announced they will enter the NBA draft.